Long time no speak!

  I know its been ages...and I am trying to think of an excuse as to why (perhaps excuse is the wrong word). I think it is partly because we have been here for long enough that everything is starting to feel a bit normal; the traffic, the chaos, the animals roaming free...it actually feels a bit like home. The other reason I have not written is probably because we have been so busy. Time has just flown by and here we are with less than a week to go.

  

   We have just returned from 4 days at the ashram which was as good as ever. Spring has truly sprung and all the flowers in the ashram are in full bloom and made for some great photo ops.    Sam had a great time helping out with the construction of a second story on the clinic. Hunter and I helped out with the beading of several key rings which will be sold at markets and to other interested buyers. Sam also played his first game of cricket Indian style with a couple of boys from the ashram and the surrounding neighbourhood. While Sam was playing cricket Hunter and I made small talk with a Rhajastani herdsmen who wanted me to show him how to take photographs. I was more than happy to show him as I was finally able to get some shots of the camera shy Rhajastani women with their amazing horn bangles that cover their entire arms (I will upload the pics shortly).

  We also made a trip with all the ashram volunteers to the family house which was fun. We all squeezed into the car together and on the way we got stuck in traffic (like you do everywhere in India) however on this particular occasion we found ourselves crushed in gridlock between buses, rickshaws, cars and two elephants. That's right, squeezed between our car and the one in the next lane (if you can call it a lane) were two elephants which Sam reached out and patted their leathery skin.

 

    In my last post I wrote about some of the little quirks I have come across in India and for memories sake I am going to add a few more. The first is about escalators; I hear you wonder how can there be anything unusual associated with escalators... well I have noticed a couple of things actually. The first is that for a country that does not worry too much about road rules, seat belts or the wearing of motorbike helmets they seem to insist that the utmost care is taken on the deadly escalators. I had not noticed this right away until Sam pointed it out to me. We were in a shopping mall when Sam said as we approached an escalator "watch this" he then proceeded to briskly climb the escalator (like you do), which caused a security guard to freak out and yell at him to stop and stand still...hilarious. Needless to say he has done this a number of times for a laugh and I must admit I find it amusing. It was then that I noticed there is a security guard manning every escalator in that particular shopping centre. The other thing about escalators is that I have noticed that many of the Indian women are petrified of them; especially the getting on and off. On one particular occasion as we approached an escalator we were behind a family of three and as they were getting on the escalator the woman freaked out and got left behind. We waited patiently for her to attempt to get on but in the end we stepped past and made our way down to the lower floor. When we alighted she was still standing at the top of the escalator and her husband was waiting not to patiently for her to descend. We tried our best not to stare but we had to see if she was going to make it down or not. Before long her husband walked to the other end of the shopping centre to the 'up' escalator and went to get her... I think they caught the lift down...not sure how she coped with that as it was one of the glass ones.

  This next quirk is one you probably have to experience to appreciate. Last week we came down from our apartment to our waiting car to find our driver frantically trying to repair his horn, which probably died from overuse. He seemed quite troubled by the fact that it didn't work. Now, I don't know about you but if my cars horn broke it would be months before I would even notice. But here I think a broken horn would make a driver feel somewhat impotent. We had a few stops to make that day and when we got back in the car after our first errand he proudly demonstrated the fixed horn.

I know this post has been short, but better short than not at all. We have five days left in India and I hate to think that this is my last post as there is so much more to share but we are finding that our days and nights are pretty much booked solid until we leave. 

See you very soon!

Beige Socks, Sparkly Vests & Pot Plants

Another week has flown by and it is certainly countdown time until we head back to Australia.

I have just had a quick look back through all I have written over the past few months and relived much of the experience. I also realised that this posting will mean that I have written over 25,000 words over the last 2 months...and I thought I churned out a lot of words at uni last year!

  

You may be wondering about the odd title for this post...well as well as updating what we have been up to this past week I thought I would also reminisce about a few of the things I find a little quirky about India...this is mainly for my own benefit so I don't forget all the little things that make India unique.

Where do I begin...

So last Sunday we decided to go and check out a church in Delhi that caters for expats which is held at the British Embassy School. We arrived late, which is not unusual for India... when we hop in the car and tell the driver where we want to go he always thinks about it for a second and then gives the impression he knows exactly where he is going. At some point in the journey it always becomes apparent that he does not have a clue. His driving becomes a bit erratic and he keeps looking around and eventually he will stop and ask for directions or we will have to make them stop and ask...so for this reason we were late. The service itself was a little conservative but the message was relevant and the structure flowed really well. There were about 300+ people in the congregation from a multitude of countries. We saw a few people there that we had met before but we did  not hang around after the service to meet people. 

  Afterwards we thought we would get some lunch and then go to the movies to see Slumdog Millionaire but when we went to get tickets we found that we had missed all the English sessions...

  Monday was India's republic day, which happens to fall on the same day as Australia day. We had planned to head to the ashram for the week. Ray was worried that the traffic would be bad because it was a public holiday and suggested that we put it off until Tuesday, but I insisted we go anyway. The decision to go was bittersweet, in that we had the best run to the ashram ever as there was virtually no traffic...but, had I listened to Ray and waited until Tuesday I may not have got a nasty bout of Delhi belly.

  We arrived just in time for lunch...I made sure we were there in time as lunch at the ashram is my favorite meal of the day. This may have been my second mistake, because it was Republic day some organisation from outside the ashram had bought in a special meal. The food was nice enough, but I was not so keen on the sweet...I ate it anyway as I did not want to be impolite...perhaps my third mistake. 

  The kids and I had a really nice afternoon catching up with the children and some of the patients. At one point we were walking though the area where most of the patients sit outside during the day when one of the patients called out to us and beckoned us over...not unusual... So we headed over to say hi. He was not a patient we had met before and was only picked up the week before. He was on a bed and very skinny, when we got closer we could see he was a bit distressed. With our limited Hindi and some good charades on his part (as well as showing us his emaciated torso) we ascertained he was hungry so we indicated we would go and get him some khanna (food). When we got to the kitchen it happened that none of the English speaking staff were there. So again with my limited Hindi I said to Sangeeta and one of the guys "man wants food" and indicated he was hungry...unfortunately I could not remember the right word for man so I basically used the Hindi word for human as it was the only one I could remember. Sangeeta found this highly amusing and then said "patient"...of course I should have said patient...every Hindi speaker in the ashram would have known the English word patient. So we were given a plate of food which Sam took to the patient.

  

   That night I paid dearly for my "mistakes" of the day. I probably slept for about an hour when I awoke not feeling so great...I lay there for a while trying to get back to sleep but at 2am I had a sudden urge to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately the urge was to strong to make it to the bathroom... to get there I had to walk 50metres, climb up a ladder and over a wall, then walk 50metres to the clinic to get the bathroom key, then get to the bathroom. There was no way I was going to make it. So I toileted the way nature intended...several times over the next few hours. By 4am things changed... the Gudwara had started broadcasting their morning prayers and the vomiting began... I don't do vomiting well, by this stage I was feeling very dehydrated and very sorry for myself. At sunrise I wasn't feeling much better but I had nothing left to expel, so I headed over to the bathroom for a much needed shower. I asked Ray to get me a bedpan from the clinic to take back to our room...just in case...but he wouldn't :( (Just to let everyone know, that prior to me saying no I had spent my evening assisting my wife with her "illness" - Ray)

   I felt like rubbish most of the day, I was overtired and nauseous. By lunch I managed to keep down some hydrolyte and dinner some bread. The next day I was keeping down food and drink but it took the rest of the week for my appetite to return. Probably not a bad thing as the usually wonderful ashram food was slightly tainted by an oversupply of cauliflower. I used to love cauliflower...now, not so much. Renford had found a place that was getting rid of some cauliflower that was too old to sell...250kgs of cauliflower. So there was fried cauliflower for breakfast, cauliflower and lentils for lunch and aloo and gobi for dinner (potatoes & cauliflower). I don't even think I would like cheesy cauliflower anymore.

   On our third day we went to the "family house" for the afternoon. Family house is about a 10 minute drive from the ashram. Prakash (Dad) drove us over; on arrival we were warmly greeted by Presida his wife. Prakash and Presdida have 12 children which they care for. They really are the most beautiful children and each has their own story of how they came to live with Presida and Prakash. The story that struck me most was that of one of the girls and her younger brother. They were found when they were about 3 years and 8 months respectively. They were brought to the attention of the police by a shopkeeper after they had been sitting on his stoop for 3 days. Everyone just assumed that their parents were nearby. It took 3 days before it was realised that they were alone. This just highlights how used to seeing poverty people are here, to think nothing of leaving a child alone for hours or even days while the parents go out to try and earn money or beg. Just today as we were coming home from the shopping mall in a rickshaw we were at a set of traffic lights at a particularly busy intersection and on the median strip in the middle of the road lay a naked baby about a year old sleeping, one arm and leg hanging into the gutter inches from the teeming traffic. I can only assume the mother was somewhere nearby approaching the windows of cars begging for money. I just so happened to have my camera in my hand today and I took a couple of photos of that baby. Lets never become numb or blind to what happens in the world...I plan to upload the photo to my web albums and may it shock some to action.

   We had a really wonderful evening with the family. The children all had a great time playing together and once again the language barrier was not a hindrance. Before dinner the family joins together and sings some songs together...they sound amazing. And then a passage is read from the bible...it was also read in English. Following the reading Bobbi (one of the older girls prayed) I am not sure what she prayed but it was a long prayer and I recognised a few names here and there and I am wondering if she prayed for everyone at the ashram. Following this time dinner was served. The food was amazing and I would have enjoyed more had my recovering digestive system allowed me to. I have to say I even enjoyed more fried cauliflower. We were invited to stay the night at the family house and had we been prepared we would have loved to but I was a bit worried that my stomach might revolt again during the night and Hunter is having trouble mastering a squat toilet. We really had a wonderful time at the family house and talking and if time permits I would love to spend a bit more time there before we return to Australia.

   I still have so much more to write about in this post but it is getting late. But before I finish I have to write about beige socks, sparkly vests and pot plants.

  Pot plants- I don't know why and I am yet to ask, but there are pot plants everywhere in this country...and I am not talking about one or two. Take for instance out apartment block. The parking area looks like a nursery. New plants are coming and going all the time. Our neighbours all have a few pot plants by their door which are regularly moved around. The shopping malls also have random plants dotted around the place...I cannot emphasise enough...THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. They are not particularly beautiful plants either. They are often quite scrawny plants covered in dust. You know I appreciate a pretty potted plant as much as the next person.. in fact I do own a very cute little potted African violet which I have managed to keep alive for 18 months (nothing short of a miracle) but I am struggling to understand why so many plants are in very ordinary pots...and often sitting in a garden bed.

  Beige socks- I am assuming it is only winter that beige socks are required as the rest of the year it would be too hot. It seems that the main colour of socks women wear are beige... I can only assume it it is because it is the closest thing to skin colour. The other interesting thing about these socks is that it is a bit like a mitten in that is has a separate segment for the big toe. This is because the women mainly wear slip on shoes and primarily thongs. I have to say it is a great idea as you need to take your shoes off in most houses so it is most practical to wear thongs. But beige? Seriously? We are talking about a country that has the most vivid and colourful clothing on the planet...why are these mitten socks only sold in beige? I get the skin colour thing but frankly they just look like ugly beige socks...sorry, couldn't help myself. Oh, one other fashion faux pas I have to draw attention to... Sparkly, poorly cut, lairy coloured vests...worn by the men...did I say sparkly already? These things are hilarious! What are they thinking? You would not believe the colours...aqua, purple, hot pink, bright orange. Sometimes you will see a group of men hop off a bus all in different coloured sparkly vests. The kids and I now play spotto with sparkly vests rather than yellow cars...much more fun... I reckon we would see close to 100 on the hour plus drive to the ashram. Got to love India... the most colourful and interesting country in the world!

Agra

   So it has taken me a while to get to it but I have finally found the time to write about our trip to Agra. Nothing like a bout of Delhi belly to sap you of energy and slow you down a bit!

   Our trip to see the Taj Mahal was a little impromptu, it was something we thought we would make the time to do while in India but if it didn't happen we were not bothered... after all it is an old leaky building.

  However, Ray thought it would be great to spend some informal time one of the German Board members (Dirk) and a friend of his (Alfons), who mentioned they were heading down to Agra, and offered to for us all to travel together in the one vehicle. This meant we could share the cost of transport if we hired a car and of course the more the merrier. We set off early one morning for the 4 hour drive south, stopping at a roadside tourist stop for breakfast. It must have been one of those places where tourist buses frequent as there was imported chocolates, cookies and other luxuries from all over the world. In India everything has been given a set retail price which is printed on the label, but in this tourist stop that rule did not seem to apply. If a roll of toilet paper said 50 rupees on it they would charge you 80. The shop also sold loads of local arts and crafts also at over inflated prices. Needless to say I am not a fan of such places. I am not saying I want to beat people down to the lowest price possible, but I would rather pay a more reasonable price to a person who was perhaps involved in the manufacture or is at least a little closer to the source.

   By lunch time we arrive at our hotel...Hotel Maya-meaning illusion in Hindi. It was a quaint little hotel with a rooftop view to the Taj. One of the first things I did of course was to head up there and check it out. Dirk and I both looked at it rather unmoved and I simply said I hope its more spectacular up close. 

  Before heading off on our site seeing jaunt we sat down for lunch at the hotels outdoor balcony restaurant. It was a great place made more enjoyable for the kids by the fact that the waiters carried sling shots aptly named monkey guns to deter the would be food thieves. Unfortunately for some, the waiters were not always on the ball and we watched as a monkey deftly swooped on a table and took off with a nice piece of chicken tikka in hand.

   After lunch we headed to the Taj. The parking place is about 500 metres away and the second we pulled up we were swamped by every kind of service imaginable- cycle rickshaws, horse drawn carriages, advice on what to do, guides, guide books and every kind of Taj Mahal paraphernalia imaginable. In the end we settled on an over priced guide and insisted that we walk to the Taj- afterall we had been in a car all day. The walk was entertaining with everyone hounding us to buy there wares or trying to entice us into their store. So we made it to the ticket gate with our foreigners price of 750 rupees ready to hand over (thank you Bill Clinton- locals only pay 20) thankfully the kids were free. As with everywhere the security is pretty tight, we queued up for the ubiquitous metal detector scan and bag check.  Once through you enter the outer area. Here we had a long and interesting explanation about the layout, architecture, history etc but really I couldn't wait to head in through the main gate and finally see what all the fuss is about.

    Well... I have to admit it truly is an amazing structure. So what makes it so amazing? The precision for the era in which it is built; the detail of the intricate marble and semi precious stone work; the 20,000 people working 24 hours per day for 22 years to build it and the story behind it. Interestingly the guy that commissioned it had planned to build a second Taj Mahal for himself; it was to be made of black marble and was to be opposite the white one on the other side of the Jamuna river, with a marble bridge connecting them both. You can see the site where construction started but was ultimately abandoned when the guys son put him in gaol in the Agra fort overlooking the white Taj Mahal. Can you imagine if the black one was completed... what a sight!

  We enjoyed several hours at the Taj exploring the grounds and just enjoying being in India. I think I photographed it from just about every possible angle and Hunter once again was very popular with all the Indian tourists and posed for many photographs. Before we left we all sat at the entrance of the main gate and enjoyed watching the setting sun change the light over the white marble. Well worth the experience, even if it did cost $20US

  As we walked back to the car I think we were approached by twice as many touts. We did stop at one marble shop with workers demonstrating their intricate craft of inlaying semi-precious stones...apparently they were decedents of those who actually worked at the Taj. Whether this is true or not is irrelevant, their work was amazing. 

  It seems that most things in Agra are made from white marble... this included our beds at the hotel which were a thin foam mattress on a raised platform of white marble... great hotel and bargain price at $15 per person per night! 

  That night we ate at a restaurant aptly named the Taj Mahal, where I discovered Afghani Chicken... I am sorry India but the Afghans know their flavours  pretty well also! Does anyone know if you can get this in Australia?

  Day 2 in Agra we kept up with seeing the sites. First we headed to the Agra Fort, where we decided to forgo a tour guide and simply rely on the Lonely Planet. Another amazing place but I am not going to go into the detail because anyone but me would find my description boring and frankly you have to see it to appreciate it (unless you are some kind of history buff, which I am not). From Agra fort we crammed all 6 of us plus a driver into an auto rickshaw and headed to a market place. We spent a few hours wandering around the crowded market place taking in the sites and watching the paan vendors mix their creations and wrap them up in a paan leaf (one day I will try one). Dirk led us down some of the narrow alleyways that led into a very condensed  housing area, it was interesting to see inside the real Agra, with water rushing through narrow drains, small children running around unattended, monkeys climbing on every building and trying to reach through the thickly screened windows trying to snatch some food. It is sobering to think that any one of us could have been born into the city of Agra and have a totally different life to the one we are accustomed too. The unfortunate thing about Agra is that for the amount of tourist dollars that is being poured into the city very little is being spent on fixing up the city itself... I hate to sound harsh but Agra itself is a dive.

   Our final stop for the day was Akbar's tomb, which once again housed some amazing architecture with intricate inlaid detail. The gardens of this tomb housed a deer park as well as several species of monkeys and a few exotic birds including peacocks all wandering around together free range. Sam really enjoyed being a wildlife photographer while in the garden and took some great snaps, some of which I have uploaded to Picasa.

  

  From Akbar's tomb we headed back to Delhi. The trip was largely uneventful aside from the horrendous traffic and Ray having a slight episode of Delhi belly. I have to say I found the drive home particularly tedious. By this stage I was feeling a little worn out from the weeks of travel and I was looking forward to a few days at home doing nothing. I think it is very easy to become worn out in India; it is such a busy place and such an assault to the senses. You really need time here to be able to stop and find a quite place to recover every now and then.

Please email us, we would love to hear your news!

  

B for Bombay

I am yet to write about our trip to Agra, but today is not the day...

  We have had a great couple of days back in Delhi. Today was a quiet day at home, but not at all dull. 

  -Ray left at 8.30 am to travel to Faridabad to inspect a possible property for the project.

  -For the kids and I it started out a quiet morning. Sam had breakfast in bed...chips, mandarin and banana (its Saturday, I didn't feel like going out and the fridge blew up so we have no other food). I spent the morning pottering around the house, sorting out the washing, helping Hunter with her piano, brushing up on the Hindi alphabet and catching up with friends and family via skype. Sam eventually emerged from bed at noon and proceeded to chat with his grandparents for a few hours. I then get a phone call from the front gate... didn't understand a word so I said nahi Hindi, English... I wait then some one says electricity working? I assume he means the electrician is here to fix the fridge and the hot water heater. 5 minutes later a knock at the door. The electrician comes in and fixes the plug from the fridge... I am laughing now as I think back to Thursday when the electrician first came by to see what the problem was. Ray using charades pointed to the fridge and makes a sound like an explosion with hand gestures... the electrician looked at him like he was an alien... I guess you had to be there but it still cracks me up. So... he replaces the plug and the fridge is running. Next issue the hot water heater, 5 minutes later he has that working but then the charades of explaining how to work it. I picked up a few phrases... 5 minutes, half and hour, warm water, on and off....But just to make sure I wasn't risking future electrocution I called Shekhar to interpret... All good... And the cost for an electrician, new plug and repairs... $3... love it! And now I can have 10 minute hot showers instead of 5 minutes... as long as I keep the water pressure to a trickle.

  The rest of the afternoon was uneventful.... (black out...now typing in the dark....aah, generator has kicked in, lights on) Ray had downloaded a copy of high school musical 3 as we somehow missed it at the cinemas; it came and went in under a week. Apparently this was because it was rated the equivalent of MA so no kids actually could watch it. So we watched our dodgy German subtitled one today (sorry Disney, but Hunter couldn't wait for the DVD and we will purchase an original when it comes out!).

  

  The highlight of my day today had to be Ray ordering home delivery Indian for dinner. We only order from one place as it is the only one that seems to be willing to take our order in English... frankly I don't understand why the other delivery joints bother printing English menus and distributing them. So... ordering never takes less than 10 minutes due to the language barrier but this time was particularly entertaining... here is an abridged script...

RAY: Hello, I would like to order take-away.

Saleems: Yes, what do you want?

R: take away, delivery...

silence

S:what is your order

R: I would like 3 Chicken tikka roll

S: 3 chicken tikka

R: roll

S:? 

R:roll

S:?

R: roll roll

S: ha, 3 chicken tikka roll

R: Yes... 1 aloo roll

S: ha

R: 1 chilly chicken dry

S: chilly chicken

R: dry

S: dry?

R: dry

S: ha

R: and 8 butter naan.

S: ?

R: 8, aat, butter naan, butter naan

S: ?

R: 8 butter naan, roti

S: ha

S:address?

R: plot 9

S: 59

R: no plot 9

S:59

R: no, plot 9, P L O T, plot 9

S: ha

R: sector 45

S:?

R: sector 45

S: ha

R: Doordahan apartments (said about 5 times)

S: number?

R: B 604

S: 604

R: B 604, B B B

S: 604?

R: B, B for Barry. B604

S: B, B for Bombay

R: ha OK B for Bombay, B 604.

this goes on for some time...including mobile number.

R: please confirm the order (necessary after last time)

S: 3 chicken tikka roll, 1 aloo roll, 1 chili chicken dry... excellent

R: the naan what about the naan

S: ?

R: 8 butter naan

S: naan?

R: butter naan, 8, aat, butter naan?

S? 

R: naan, roti, butter naan, 8

S: ha, 2 butter naan.

R: NO. 8, 8 ? 8

S: ha, 8 butter naan, excellent.

R: please confirm the order...

and on it goes... the kids and I were in stitches.

It will be interesting to see what arrives.

You may be wondering why so many naan... we will save 4 to have with jam for breakfast... best jam ever!

hope you all enjoy your dinner... whatever it may be... I know we will

Busy!

It has been 10 days since my last post, which is way too long! I prefer to do more regular posts so I don't forget the little details of our time here which really add to the whole experience. For me this blog is not only a great way to keep in contact and to let our friends and family know what is happening but it is really my journal as well; it would take too much time for me to keep them separate.

So what have we been up to... Well I expected that now that our long distance travels are over that things would quieten down a bit but it seems that one meeting leads to the next and when I think we finally have a quiet day at home inevitably we end up with an appointment to visit another organisation.

  So the day after we arrived back in Delhi we went and visited an organisation called Prayas. This is an organisation which originated in the north of Delhi after a slum fire which left many children orphaned and many others homeless. The organisation was started by an Indian police officer who was overwhelmed by the need. Since then the organisation has grown and has many facilities throughout India. The beauty of this organisation is the education and training opportunities it offers, with a vast array of vocations from baking, teaching, nursing, sewing and even beauty therapies. I have to say the baked goods were delicious. The particular place we visited was a boys home thus Sam was quite popular and regularly engaged in conversation with the boys. The Prayas website is www.prayasonline.org/  and is well worth a look. We hope to make the time to see some of their other facilities outside of Delhi as we think there is much that we can learn from them in terms of equipping people with vocational skills once they have regained their health. As with all our visits, be it quick or extended, this one to Prayas was not without incident. Of course we got lost in the way as there is no such thing as a street directory in India so unlike Australian males, Indians rely on stopping and asking for directions. Then when it was time to go home our driver had some how managed to lose the car keys; so being India there is no roadside service as such but within minutes a guy showed up who was apparently a locksmith. So with nothing more than a blank key and a file he made a new key for the car. It was a very interesting process. In a nut shell he broke into the car popped the boot and removed its locking mechanism and then by feel he spent about half an hour shaping a new key according to the boot lock. After he had it working in the boot and doors he then made the final adjustments to the key for the ignition. In all it took nearly an hour and cost the driver about $6. I cant imagine what you would pay for a service like that in Australia.

   The next day Harry arrived from Australia. Harry was the one who originally introduced us to Sewa Ashram and Opportunity International and has a real passion for the Ashram and the project that we are here to support. The next morning we headed to the Ashram so we could meet with the Ashram international board members who were visiting from Germany. We spent 3 days at the ashram. Ray and Harry spent most of the time in some very fruitful meetings with the German Board Members and Ashram Team whilst the kids and I interacted with the patients. Ray built some great relationships with the German board members during their time together, and I believe that Ray and Harry were excited about the direction the meetings took. Sam once again had a great time hanging out with Renford installing a new toilet in the kids house, building a fence to divide the rabbit pens, collecting manure for the compost and replanting the lettuce. The rabbit breeding program is well underway now and they are breeding like rabbits do. Only two have been utilised for food at this stage, though I have to say there cant have been much meat on them.

  Hunter and I spent quite a bit of time at the kids house. Hunter would play with the kids while I would try to communicate with Roxhanna, who is one of the more chatty patients though she doesn't speak a word of English. I have learnt quite a few new words through hanging out with her. I should mention that the kids and I are working our way through the Hindi alphabet and are able to read a few signs here, especially when they are English words spelled out in the Devanagari script. The beauty of Hindi is that it is a truly phonetic language. Unlike English where spelling a word out phonetically only works some of the time.

  One dampener on this time at the ashram was the noise pollution produced by the nearby Sikh Gudwara (temple). They had some kind of month long festival going on which meant that they had a speaker blaring out their chanting  for around 20 hours a day, apparently last year it was 24 hours per day, at least this year there was a  few hours reprieve. The thing that seems a bit silly though is that they are speaking Punjabi, but the language spoken in the surrounding neighbourhood is Hindi... so really its just noise that nobody understands. Unfortunately there does seem to be some correlation between the chanting and the number of seizures in the kids house.

  As we were preparing to leave the ashram on Saturday afternoon, Lenka- one of the German volunteers- asked me into the clinic to check if I knew if a medication was suitable for one of the patients whose condition was suddenly declining with breathing difficulties. Ramesh was about 21 years old and had suffered TB which had severely compromised his lungs. He had finished his TB medication and had some periods of improved health but he would never make a full recovery. The doctor had checked Ramesh the day before and had changed his medications but in the meantime he must have picked up a virus because during Saturday his condition was deteriorating. The nurse had gone home so it was up to the volunteers. I had identified the medication as ventolin and atrovent which was given. Ramesh was very sweaty and congested and his heart was racing. He seemed afraid and he did not want to take all the ventolin, though it was enough to boost his oxygen saturation a little and help his breathing but the mucous congestion was still a problem. I had seen Sam in a similar position many times before so I really thought Ramesh would be OK especially if it was managed. I said to Lenka before we left watch him tonight as that is the time that it is likely to get worse. That is exactly what happened. Apparently Ramesh died during the night. I really thought he would be OK.  I had seen Sam pull through a similar situation many times, but what I failed to realise was that Sam has a stronger constitution and greater vitality, whereas Ramesh was weak and seemed to have lost his will to live. It was a sobering realisation and reality. 

   After we left the ashram we took Harry to Dilli Haat which is a lovely outdoor market that sells handicrafts from all over India. Harry was looking for a gift for his wife Zelda so we had a look at all the different stoles and pashminas available. I had never really looked into pashminas before in terms of quality, but I was aware that a real 100% pashmina was very expensive. It was really interesting to compare the differing qualities and mixes available. Of course the prices varied immensely. At one market stall the proprietor said to us in very hushed tones that a particular pashmina he was showing us was called a shahtoosh. We were a bit confused by his hushed tones but he explained that is was an illegal product. Even before he quoted a price of $600 we thought we would give it a miss. When we got home we looked up what a Shahtoosh was, apparently it is a pashmina made from the down fur of a Chiru which is an endangered Tibetan wild antelope. The only way to sheer the fur is to first kill the antelope. 

  Other fun purchases from the markets that night included a henna tattoo for Hunter, some $6 shoes made from camel leather and some colourful Indian bangles.

  The next morning Harry was due to return to Sydney. Before he left we stopped at a coffee shop on the way to the airport and told the driver to be back at 11.30am. By 11.50 he still hadn't showed up so we made a few frantic calls. Eventually at noon he showed up looking very bleary eyed as though he had just woken up... Ray blasted him.

We spent the rest of the day at the shopping mall. The kids did the trampoline bungee thingy, we hung out in the bookstore and had a cheap buffet lunch. We had planned to watch Australia at the cinema but as I was in line to buy tickets it sold out! I was a little surprised as Indian entertainment programs called it a box office flop. As it was earlier in the day we were approached by an Australian woman who introduced herself as a woman from the church we had attended once before... she had never met us before but there are not many white families wandering about so she guessed it was us. Jackie and her family have lived in India for several years. They have 3 kids around the same age as ours. She was most welcoming and suggested we meet up so we can have a chat about living in India and let the kids have a play. So seeing as the movie was sold out we decided to go to church. The evening service is a vibrant bilingual service. I have to say I really enjoyed it, the music was great and the kids had a great time playing with the other kids. Once again we were reminded of what a small world it is with Jackie and Craig knowing many people in Australia we also know and moving in similar circles.

I still have so much to catch up on...especially about our time in Agra but I will save that for tomorrow!

xx

Hello - Ray

Well hello all. I trust that you have all been enjoying Lou's blog - I know I have! We are now half way into our time here in India. It has been an enjoyable, interesting, confronting and challenging time.

The project is progressing well. It has been an evolutionary process - one that has seen my pre-conceptions and ideas challenged, revolutionized and transformed - and the journey is not yet over!

We live on a planet that is so diverse, so amazing. When I first arrived in India, my first comment to Lou was the number of people. As we have travelled across India over the last number of weeks, the truth of my statement has really become apparent. India is growing by the size of the Australian population every year. The conservative forecast for the planet is 9 billion people by 2050 - that's a lot of people.

India also clearly showcases the disparity between those who have, and those who have not. When driving through the streets where we live, we pass the massive malls that house the top brand consumer goods. We pass the luxury high-rise apartments that house the people that have been fortunate to get on the ladder of economic development. We pass the slums that house thousands of families, that struggle to survive each day. We pass the pavement dwellers that have nothing, that simply exist to die. India is positioned to be one of the major contributors to global GDP, and yet 40% still live below the poverty line. India still houses a third of the global poor. As India, and some other countries in the developing world like China, converge with the developed world - and perhaps become the centre of gravity in world economies - the challenge is for those who are unable to get on the first rung of economic development. For them - and there are around 1 billion globally - the situation is only going to get worse. The gap is only going to get wider. The situation more dire.

Are the poor in India and the rest of the world a result of their own countries mismanagement? A result of countries turning their back on God? Perhaps the poor in the world are a result of the greed and gluttony of all those above them in the pyramid of global society. Those who find themselves at the 'bottom of the pyramid' perhaps are there as a result of ongoing oppression and exploitation. What part do we play in this oppression and exploitation?

There is currently a lot of global dialogue about climate change, and the sustainability of the current trajectory of human activity. We live on a planet with finite resources. We have a growing population, which is going to see larger conversion of the planet's resources for consumption. My thoughts here are not motivated by fear of running out of natural resources, nor climate change, however God has called us to be good stewards with what he has placed in our hands. Are we being responsible with the planet that He has placed in our hands? Are our current levels of consumption sustainable? What impact does my consumption have on my neighbor? If you have a chance - and I highly recommend that you do - have a look at www.storyofstuff.com.

The thought that I am currently working through is: Are the poor in the world simply a symptom, and if so, what's the cause and how do I address the cause in order to have the greatest impact?

Am I currently living a life that causes a third of the world to live in poverty? What choices can I make that will begin to change the trajectory of human activity to one that is sustainable for all, and begins to bring back balance into our global society? Where opportunities and choices that are widely regarded as essential to leading long, healthy, creative lives, are available to all of society, who can then enjoy a decent standard of living, freedom and dignity, self esteem and the respect of others.

Jesus talks about those to whom much is given, much will be required. What's in my hand, and what can I utilize that will have the greatest impact in changing the circumstances for those who are at the 'bottom of the pyramid'? What do I have that will bring back social equity? Social fairness?

Choices. I have the freedom to choose, and with that freedom comes great responsibility. How will the choices I make today impact those around me?

Only when we begin to choose to adjust our lifestyles to truly reflect the conviction that individuals are not only capable of advancing human security, environmental stewardship and improved quality of life, but that it is our responsibility to do so, can we really begin to make a difference.

I believe we can. I believe that we are capable of changing the 'social climate' of our planet. I believe that we can see the poor lifted out of simply existing. I believe we can if we start to choose to do so.

Cheers,

Ray

Darjeeling- Sunderbans- Calcutta

  After enjoying a few more lazy days in Darjeeling it was time to move on. Late one afternoon we hopped in a 4WD for the long winding descent back down to sea level. It really is an amazing and precarious drive, there was never a dull moment. After a few wrong turns and about 3 hours we made it to the station. Our train was on time and was already at the station (we had been checking for delays all day after our last trip). The train was much newer and cleaner than the last train and was equally as comfortable. The only problem though was that we were not seated together. Sam and I were in 2A and Hunter and Ray were 5 carriages away in 3A; I was none to pleased about this after our last train journey. Sam and I settled into our cabin with 2 other Indian men. The train left promptly at 8pm and was due to arrive in Calcutta at 6am. After our tickets had been checked Ray and Hunter came to visit us and check that we were OK. We arranged to meet in their carriage at 5.30am so we could get off the train together. Unfortunately we did not have dinner before we hopped on the train and we failed to realise that meals would not be served on a red eye trip, so we had to make do with water and a couple of butterscotch lollies. Soon after the train was underway Sam settled into bed. The men in our carriage locked up there suitcases with chains and locks and went to bed. They both snored like foghorns. We stopped at a couple of stations during the night but overall the trip was fairly quiet; even so I was unable to sleep. I spent most of the night reading or trying to doze without much luck. Sam woke at 5 am and at 5.30 while everyone was still sleeping we trekked through the carriages to Ray and Hunter; they were both sound asleep. The train was a little delayed due to fog and we eventually arrived in Calcutta only an hour and a half late. As we hopped off the train we immediately noticed the change from cold Darjeeling. The air was thick and hot and we were still in our ski jackets. We made the long walk to the station entrance where we were confronted by numerous drivers wanting to know where we were from and where we were headed. We could not see our driver anywhere and by this stage we sweltering. As Ray went off to find our driver Hunter was feeling a little dizzy and the next thing I know there is sweet lassi everywhere. I think the heat and being overdressed stressed her body a little. Thankfully Ray had found the driver by this stage and we headed for the car to hopefully get some sleep!

  The car was a four wheel drive with a very loud horn! It soon became apparent that I was not going to get any much needed sleep on the 3 hour drive south to the Sunderbans. It was fortunate that we had been in India for sometime by this stage as this particular driver was crazy! Seriously the worst so far. I don't know if it was exhaustion but I was not too bothered by the near death experiences because I knew it would be fine...at least we got there quickly without actually killing anyone. I have to say though this guy left hornboy for dead, he should probably just buy a siren. I had to laugh though the horn did have a tone to it to suggest it was dying from overuse.

  So after several hours we arrived at a very large ashram in the Sunderbans. Sunderban literally means beautiful jungle and is a series of mangrove islands that lies at the mouth of the Ganges and is the home to the Bengal tiger.

  We were made very welcome at the ashram and were greeted by many of the staff and the Swami. I have to say from the moment we approached the ashram I had a strong sense of unease, initially I put it down to exhaustion. There was little time to rest on that first morning we first met with the Swami who explained the religious and other philosophies of the ashram and where given a tour of the temple. After the initial introduction the tour began, we visited the schools, food manufacturing and science laboratories. There was so much to take in but I felt like a walking zombie. After a delicious lunch of local seafood and delicacies we were given time to rest. Our room was modest but met our needs, we shared 2 very firm (read rock hard) single beds with much needed mosquito nets. The bathroom was simple with cold running water, bucket for a shower and a western/squat toilet in one. After crashing for a few hours we were up again. We went to visit many more of the ashrams training and manufacturing initiatives, they really do have an exceptional set up. Dinner was not until 8.30pm and I was struggling to put one foot in front of the other. The food was great though; Sam and Ray particularly enjoyed it. After dinner we went straight to bed... oh sleep!

  The next day we woke early but I was still unable to shake the intense feeling of unease. Breakfast was great and included jalebi to dip in puffed rice. I have never seen Sam eat so much, his appetite seemed insatiable. 

  Our first stop for the day was another branch of the ashram further south into the Sunderbans. We had a tour around the school and facilities there. Hunter found the most interesting part were the enormous hay stacks of rice. I showed Hunter how to open the husk to expose the grain of rice. You forget that children brought up in cities don't always know where their food actually comes from. 

  I have to admit this unease that was with me quashed my sense of adventure. It was suggested we take a boat ride to one of the other islands but I gave Ray a very intent stare that said decline or you will die in your sleep - suffice to say no boat ride was had. I hate being such a party pooper but I was really very edgy.

Sam made one error on our tour. As we walked around the island the person pointed to a structure we came across by the water, I had an inkling it was a crematory and my suspicion was confirmed. Sam walked up to it and proceeded to stand on it to admire the view across the water with both the guide and I saying "no- get down" eek... uncomfortable.

  After lunch we headed back to the main ashram and the tour continued. We had some free time in the afternoon and I spent some time sorting out our luggage, as I was sorting it all out I soon realised the silver Tibetan jewelery I had bought in Darjeeling was missing. I checked and rechecked everything but it was not there. Ray was very unimpressed and I was worried he was going to make a fuss and start interrogating until he found the culprit. There was no lock on the door to our room so anyone could have been responsible. We asked the guy who bought us our tea if he had seen it but the language barrier was prohibitive. Soon we had everyone up in our room including the swami. We were very cautious about saying it had been stolen but rather misplaced. Needless to say the jewelry did not show up.

  The next morning we were to have breakfast before we headed back to Calcutta. Once again the food was piled on and Sam thankfully ate his share as well as much of mine. The swami joined us for breakfast and presented us with an array of gifts including a book and many religious icons. He even gave us a silver bracelet to replace the one that had gone missing.

  Overall the hospitality at the ashram was flawless and the knowledge gained from touring their facilities extremely valuable, though I was more than ready to move on.

  After being farewelled we hopped back into the 4WD for our hazardous drive back to Calcutta. Though we had left the ashram the unease that had been with me the past few days continued to plague me. I think it was because we where so far from home and we were in such a remote area where nobody spoke English that I felt completely out of control. Even though we had been off the beaten track in Kerala I did not feel the unease I felt in West Bengal and I have to put it down to the fact that I must be far more spiritually sensitive than I previously realised. About half way into the trip our driver picked up another passenger from a crowded village. We then headed even further into the wilderness down narrow roads and through thick jungle, I knew this was not the way we had come so the unease intensified. Ray saw this in me and began to question the driver and sought to reassure me that it was simply the back way - don't know how he figured that out! I don't think I have every prayed so fervently in all my life. We soon crossed a few train lines and came out of the jungle onto a more busy thoroughfare where our extra passenger alighted. Gradually the scenery began to change and the villages became more like towns and then we arrived into the city. By this stage the anticipation on arriving at the hotel was unbearable but the Calcutta traffic continued to impede out progress. After several sweltering, bumpy and noisy hours we pulled into the hotel drive way. I could not get into the lush air conditioned lobby fast enough. The sense of relief that the last couple of days was over was immense.

  Now personally I don't think I am too precious when it comes to roughing it for a few days, and really who can't survive a hard bed and cold showers for a few days. Also, I tend to find "nice" hotels overpriced and overrated. But as I walked in and was greeted with a cool wet washer I knew it was so worth it. We ended up booking the Taj as we had no lead on where to stay in Calcutta at a reasonable price so we called ahead and booked as we knew we could get a reasonable rate and not have to book two rooms for the four of us.

   In terms of service the hotel was seriously one of the best if not the best I have ever stayed at (I don't mean to sound pretentious but I have stayed at enough 5 star hotels to know what to expect). We were upgraded to a large suite where the four of us would be more comfortable. It was so great to sleep in a soft bed with even softer pillows and stand in the shower for 10 straight minutes...ooo luxury. 

  Soon after settling in I checked my emails and there was a note from my co-author Kathy to say she had received a royalty cheque and we would be getting another in a few weeks...So I had no hesitation in allocating the money to our stay and a massage as well... aah money well spent!

 Oh quick plug... keep an eye out for our new book "completely lost for words" which should be in bookstores soon.

Calcutta

   Our first day was one of laziness and recovery. We had room service for both lunch and dinner and the kids enjoyed watching the TV and the discovery channel for the first time in 6 weeks (although we have a TV in our apartment I have never bothered to switch it on).

  The next day we thought we had better get out and about and try and tee up some appointments. In the morning we went to the new market as I had heard that Calcutta has the most beautiful fabrics in all of India. I have to say I had noticed that the Sari's and Salwaar Kameez worn by women in West Bengal were particularly vibrant and beautiful. But upon entering the indoor market we were immediately approached by a man insisting he could show us the best and he kept pestering me as to what I wanted to buy. He kept flashing some dodgy looking id insisting he was a government guide and every time he tried to lead us one way we immediately turned the other. After about 20 minutes he got the message and took off. The market in Calcutta certainly was not as laid back as Darjeeling and perhaps even more pushy than Delhi. The initial prices quoted where so inflated and unrealistic I could not even bother to start negotiating. I hate to sound completely negative but the I was over it... over the haggling, the pushiness and misrepresentation. We ended up buying Hunter a few colourful bangles and headed back to the sanctuary of the hotel.

  The next day we had organised to meet up with the wife of an Indian friend of a friend in Australia (does that make sense). Binu (the guy) was in Kerala and was due to arrive back in Calcutta just as we where leaving. So he kindly organised for his wife Deena to show us around some of their projects and initiatives. She picked us up with her driver in the afternoon and we headed off to visit a couple of the slums in which their team was active in providing education food and support. The two slums we visited were so different. The first was known as sick lane. I guess you would call it an organised slum in that it had a leader and there was a sense of community and the family structure was strong. We were introduced to the leader and shown around the community hall. The people living there were wary of us and were hesitant to interact.  We had chai with the slum leader which was served in tiny disposable clay pots which were discarded on the ground when empty. They seemed to nice to simply throw away and not reuse but I guess it is better than plastic.

  The second slum we visited was under a bridge/flyover. We were informed before we arrived that it was very different from the first in that there was no structure and the family unit was virtually non existent meaning that the kids would be more up front and perhaps a little uncouth (not that we could understand what they were saying). On alighting from the car we were immediately greeted by lots of excited children wanting to shake our hand and know what our names were. We carefully stepped our way with them through the garbage and under the bridge. I have to say if I was told that while in India I could choose between seeing the Taj Mahal or the slum under the bridge I would choose the slum... no competition. There is nothing better than seeing and understanding how a large part of the world lives. 

Unlike the sick lane slum where simple huts were constructed the bridge slum was all open plan living with only a few curtained off areas. There seemed to be a real mix of people under that bridge from the grubby outgoing children to the beautifully groomed and quiet natured women. One woman I met named Farita seemed completely out of place; she looked immaculate aside from the lice visible in her hair and she spoke enough English that we could manage to exchange names of her children and for her to invite Hunter and I to sit in her "house". There were very few men under the bridge and the one or two that were there were clearly under some chemical influence and some where visibly preparing a kind of drug. The family structure is virtually non existent under the bridge and many of the husbands are permanently  absent. 

Although there was garbage leading up to the bridge the actual space where the people lived seemed surprisingly orderly. There were even a couple of old posters of the Taj Mahal pasted to the pylons that held up the bridge. When it was time to leave we gingerly picked a path back through the tip/toilet and where fondly farewelled by all the children. I think they enjoyed the company and change of scenery as much as we did.

  After visiting the two slums Deena showed us a couple of the sites as she explained about the work her and her husband were doing in Calcutta rescuing women and children and trying to make a difference. They are really amazing people. They just go out there and do the work with no excuses as to why the task is too hard or too big; everyday they are making a difference in peoples lives.

  On our tourist jaunt of the city we took in the Howrah bridge which is one of the largest single span cantilever truss bridges in the world. It is constructed entirely of riveting without a single nut or bolt. From the bridge you get an amazing view of the Ganges and the hundreds of Hindu's bathing in the purifying holy water.

  We then headed to Mother Theresa's organisation. I have to say I really did not know what to expect but the first thing I noticed was what a prominent "tourist" attraction it is. I saw more white people there than my whole time in India. We headed in and took off our shoes and the first place we where lead was to Mother Theresa's tomb which is decorated in flowers spelling out a different message from day to day.  Next to the tomb a service of sorts was being conducted so we very quietly slipped out after signing the visitors book and receiving a miraculous medal like the one Mother Theresa handed out by the thousands. While we were there we looked through the museum and got an  understanding of how simple her life really was. All her earthly possessions were displayed in a small cabinet and you could see the white stitching on her clothes which had clearly been repaired numerous times. 

I am really glad we took the time to see the place where she lived and worked. It was an oasis in the city with a lovely peaceful ambiance.

  Deena then invited us to her home for tea; call me a sticky beak but I love going into homes in foreign countries. Her apartment was not unlike our own in Delhi in fact it was remarkably similar. Deena served us tea and the most delicious food. We learned about her family history and her arranged marriage. She gave us a book to read called One Act of Kindness which is a kind of Biography about Binu and Deena's extended family. I am about a quarter of the way through the book and I have to say it is an amazing read. The faith and the work that this family and The New India Church of God do in reaching people is nothing short of amazing.

It is unfortunate that we were unable to meet Binu and hear his perspectives and stories also but we are sure that our paths will cross at some stage.

The next morning we prepared to head back to Delhi. We had cancelled our train ticket for the 24 hour journey home and opted for a slightly more expensive 2 hour flight.... totally worth it.

Sam and Ray made the most of their last buffet breakfast with eggs, waffles and bacon. While I made the most of the baked yogurt and fruit... YUM.

   As we were checking out the room service guy presented us with lunch boxes for the trip home (in exchange for personal positive feedback- which he did deserve). He was a funny guy, always showing up with extra food which we did not order and refusing a tip, in the end all he insisted on was giving us very clear instructions on how to fill out the email feedback form and the spelling of his name. We will of course oblige - in fact happy to.

  So after a quiet and on time flight into Delhi we got through the airport in record time and were soon on our way home.

We are all looking forward to a couple of quiet days in our apartment to catch up on work and life before we head to the ashram on Friday...

I will upload some more photos soon

Keep in touch xx